www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC

H.R. PlanningPyramid

ServesCoordinating strategic vision

Mapping daily activities to long term goals

Addressing operational issues

Ingredients5+ people

Moderator

Objective

5x6 Whiteboard

Marker

Time1 Workshop Session

Action Areas

Operational Objectives

Planning Priorities

Departmental Output

www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC

1Prepare template on the whiteboard, and summarize Objective

above the template.

2Discuss parameters of Strategic Vision for 10-15 minutes. List

ideas, issues, and concerns related to fulfilling Strategic Vision next

to the template.

3Briefly review the Objective. Examine the list next to the template,

and identify Planning Priorities, as they relate to fulfilling the

Objective. Record in the template.

4Establish Operational Objectives for Planning Priorities. Record in

the template.

5Identify Action Areas for achieving Operational Objectives. Record

in the template.

6Assign each department responsibility for at least one Action Area.

Note in the template.

7Discuss Action Areas, and specify Departmental Outputs (targets,

resources, and milestones) in the template.

8Review completed template, and compare with parameters of

Strategic Vision. Revise template as needed, and establish

deadlines for Departmental Outputs.

Successes

►Helping employeesunderstand strategicvision

►Allowing goals andobjectives to “cascadedownward”

Messes

►Failing to allocateresponsibility

►Confusing Objective withStrategic Vision

Satisfies

►Annual Planning

►Benchmarking

►Troubleshooting

www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC

ObjectiveModerator WhiteboardMarkers

prep template

summarizeobjective above

template

discuss strategicvision

review objective

identify planningpriorities

establishoperationalobjectives

identify actionareas

allocateresponsibility

Symbol Key

moderator activity

repeat process

team technique

team activity

Team

specify departmentaloutputs

review template &revise as needed

ingredient

list importantpoints next to

template

How do I narrow mystrategic direction?

Difficulty

The HR Planning Pyramidaligns human resources withstrategic vision, and makesallocating responsibility the

highest priority.

www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC

Recipe Lineage

The H.R. Planning Pyramid is a Strategy Chef original, developedspecifically to enhance an overlooked component of the strategic diet.For some of us, creating strategy is a piece of cake. Yet even thoseblessed with broad vision and lucid daydreaming skills more oftenthan not find themselves left sitting alone eating their words. It is anunfortunate fact that strategic thinking most often occurs in isolation,and as a result, it rarely accounts for the full viewpoint of anorganization.

By the same token, Human Resource departments exist to help anorganization reach its business goals, yet they are subject to the samesolipsistic world view as strategic thinkers. Even though humanresources are integral ingredients in implementing any plan, it is easyfor H.R. functions and human resource planning to becomedisconnected from business goals.

The H.R. Planning Pyramid blends strategic vision with humanresource planning, so your team can co-develop a practical plan thataddresses a range of daily issues, and ongoing objectives. This type ofplanning allows an organization to proactively manage humanresources over time, rather than constantly reacting to short termforces.

This exercise is the perfect follow up to a change in strategic direction.It is also flexible enough to be used on a per-project basis whenhuman resources must be aligned to accomplish a time sensitive ini-tiative.

www.goodmind.net from The Business Strategy Cookbook © Goodmind, LLC

Departmental Output

Action Areas

Operational Objectives

Planning Priorities

Objective: A specific need related to a broader strategic vision, or initiative

Action Areas

include the general

department, or the

specific role critical to

Operational

Objectives.

Planning Priorities

describe a desired

business outcome, related

to the Objective, but

grounded in the realities

of your Strategic

Vision.

Prior to filling in

the template, your team

will discuss the Strategic

Vision of your organization,

and create a list related

to fulfilling this

Vision.

Operational

Objectives break the

broader session

Objective into a set of

specific steps, or

activities.

Departmental

Output specifies the

targets, resources,

milestones, and

deadlines for each

Action Area.

The completed

template establishes the

optimal workflow of internal

Operations as per a specific

Objective, while working

towards fulfilling a

Strategic Vision.